Fare Exchange: Smoothies can be made in multiple ways

Fare Exchange: Smoothies can be made in multiple ways

October 23rd, 2013by Jane Henegar
in Life Entertainment

TO REACH US

Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.

Welcome to Fare Exchange, autumn version. As often happens, caramel and apples and cinnamon are in the air. Can you sweeten and spice the season with honey apples, creme caramel and baked apples in pastry?

Maud Pinglot wrote, "I have lost my worn-out copy of a side dish called honey apples, as well as a simple baked apple recipe that calls for ready-made dough to be wrapped around an apple and and baked. It might be puff pastry dough or simply pie crust. And I have always wanted a recipe for rich creme caramel, so while I am asking, I will ask for that one, too."

Thanks to Linda Leake of LaFayette who sent a thick envelope of recipes particularly for Barbara B, mostly from Leake's kitchen, her mother's and grandmother's.

Her first two recipes we print today contain whey protein but may be made without this healthful ingredient.

Blueberry Smoothie

1/2 cup cold water

1/4 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen blueberries

2 packets non-calorie sweetener

1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1 scoop whey protein powder

8 ice cubes

Fat-free whipped cream

Crushed almonds, just a sprinkle, for garnish

In an ice-crushing blender, add water, berries and sweetener and blend until smooth. Add yogurt and whey and blend again until smooth again. Add ice cubes and chop until crushed. Pour into glass and top with almonds.

Makes 1 (16-ounce) serving.

Chocolate Mousse

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1 scoop natural whey protein

2 packets non-calorie sweetener

1 tablespoon fat-free, sugar-free chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon almond extract

Fat-free whipped cream

Fat-free chocolate syrup to drizzle on top

Sprinkle of almonds for garnish

In ice-crushing blender, add water, yogurt, protein and sweetener, then syrup and almond extract and blend until smooth. Add ice and chop until crushed. Pour into a glass serving dish and top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup and almonds.

There are many pumpkin cupcakes floating around the Web, and this one from I.B. answers the request from last week: It is more like a mousse with a little bit of flour. I.B. sent another pumpkin recipe, this one a smoothie, and it adds to our earlier smoothie discussion with variations in the milks and sugars that may be used. The whipped cream on top is made with coconut milk, in fact. This coconut milk "cream" is a fascinating variation on the topping theme.

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray. Either of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it's cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes.

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 1/3 cup of the mixture. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 frozen banana

1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, or other dairy-free milk

1 scoop unflavored (or vanilla) protein powder (optional)

2 to 3 tablespoons agave or maple syrup, to taste

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ginger

Small pinch of cloves

Small pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add almond milk to thin to the consistency you want. Top with coconut whipped cream if desired (recipe below). Garnish with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg.

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and refined sugar-free

Makes 1 large serving.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 (15-ounce) can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight

2 to 3 teaspoons agave or maple syrup, or to taste (optional)

Remove the well-chilled can of coconut milk from the fridge and turn it upside down. Open the can, and pour off the coconut "water" (this can be saved for later use in other recipes or for drinking). In the bottom you'll be left with the separated coconut fat. Spoon this out into a bowl, and whisk or beat with a mixer until smooth. Mix in a little sweetener, or some vanilla or other spices, to taste. Store any extra in the fridge and rewhip when ready to use.

Just a Dash...

Lou LaNieve makes quesadillas with Monterey Jack cheese and strips of fresh spinach between the flour tortillas, browned in butter in a skillet. She serves them alongside canned tomato soup topped with fresh basil or chives.